When healing from trauma, it can be easy to get stuck in our heads - trying to think our way through pain, solve it like a puzzle, or make it all make sense.
But healing isn’t just a thinking thing. It’s a whole-self thing. That’s where art and creativity come in.
Creative expression invites the parts of us that don’t have words to speak. The brush, the pen, the clay, the music-they become bridges between the inside world and the outside one. They help us tell the truth in color and texture and sound, without needing it to be polished or perfect.
✨ Why Art Helps
Trauma lives in the body and nervous system. It affects our sense of time, self, and safety. Artistic expression gently creates space for integration. It offers:
- Access to emotions that may feel too overwhelming or confusing to talk about
- A sense of control - you decide what to create, how, and when
- Permission to play - something trauma often robs us of
- An outlet for release - without needing to explain or justify
Even if you don’t consider yourself “creative,” this is not about masterpieces. It’s about process over product. Scribbles. Messes. Half-finished things. It all counts.
🎒 Ways to Try This Out
Here are a few low-pressure ways to bring creative healing into your week:
🎨 Intuitive painting or drawing – Set a timer for 10 minutes. Use whatever colors or shapes call to you. No plan. Just let your hands move.
✍️ Stream-of-consciousness writing – Set a timer and write without stopping. Let it all spill out. Burn it afterward if that feels freeing.
🖼️ Collage – Cut up magazines or print images and create a visual representation of what safety, power, or freedom look like to you.
🎶 Music and movement – Make a playlist that speaks to your current season. Let your body move gently to the rhythm.
🍃 Nature-based art – Use leaves, rocks, or sticks to build something outside. No pressure, just presence.
🌻 One More Thing…
Creative expression isn’t a replacement for trauma work - but it’s a beautiful support and companion.
Think of it like building a language with your soul - one where your wounds can be witnessed, honored, and gently reshaped into something new.
And yes, laughter counts as art. Dance counts as art. Journaling counts as art.
You, just as you are, count as an artist.
So this July, whether it’s doodling in the margins, scribbling in a journal, or dancing in your kitchen - let creativity be part of your healing toolkit.
🧠 Your body will thank you.
💛 Your heart will exhale.
🌅 And somewhere, without needing to try, you’ll remember - there’s life beyond surviving.
🎯 Try This Week
Set aside just 10 minutes and try one of these:
🖌️ Draw your current emotional state using only shapes and colors - no words.
📝 Write a letter you’ll never send to someone or something that hurt you.
🧩 Make a mini collage that reflects how you want to feel by the end of the year.
💃 Put on a song that moves you and let your body respond - no choreography, no rules.
👉 Then pause. What came up? How do you feel now?
You don’t have to be “good at art” to heal.
You just have to show up and create something true.
With you in it,
P.S. If you're ready to take the next step in healing from abuse and would like to explore enrolling in the Beyond Surviving program, start by applying for a Discover Your Genuine Self Session.
P.P.S. Find other inspiration and resources here:
https://www.rachelgrantcoaching.com/resources/creative/
RESOURCE OF THE MONTH
Have you ever read a book that talked about a diary or a sketch book and wondered what it looked like? Come inside the mind of Amaris via her sketch book. Fill the pages with colors and life as you dive deeper into her mind and her happy place. Use the journal pages to keep track of your moods, answer questions to help you heal from your trauma.
UPCOMING EVENTS
BY PARTICIPATING IN THIS FREE MASTERCLASS, YOU WILL:
✅ Understand how trauma reshapes the brain - and how to take back control
✅ Identify limiting beliefs that block your healing
✅ Apply simple, neurologically-backed strategies to shift focus, reduce PTSD symptoms, and create real change
You’ll leave feeling empowered, equipped, and energized with tools you can use right away.
Includes access to 7-Day Replay!
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY!
🌟 Calling All Changemakers! 🌟
Are you passionate about creating a world free from s*xual violence? Do you believe in the power of education, advocacy, and healing? The S*xual Assault Advocacy Network (SAAN) is looking for dedicated volunteers to help them further their mission of supporting survivors and building safer, more inclusive communities.
They are currently seeking support in these key areas:
📱 Social Media Management
📝 Newsletter Writing
💡 Fundraising & Community Engagement
Whether you're a skilled writer, a creative mind, or simply someone who wants to make a difference - your voice matters and your time counts.
At SAAN, they believe in empowerment, compassion, restorative justice, and inclusion. When you volunteer with them, you become part of a movement rooted in respect, consent, and dignity.
💌 Ready to get involved?
Reach out to HuNia Bradly
at thesaanteam@gmail.com to learn more.
Together, we can build a world where survivors are heard, supported, and empowered. 💜
Learn more about the organization here:
https://www.saancommunity.org/aboutsaan
COMING FEBRUARY 2026!!
If you’re a woman who is feeling disconnected from your body, your sensuality, or that fire inside you—you’re not alone. Join us in Costa Rica for a soul-stirring, pleasure-filled week where we’ll melt away shame, awaken your desires, and help you fall wildly in love with yourself again.
VIP EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
People stare at me like a deer in headlights nowadays when I tell them I was s*xually abused. Many get angry. "People don't talk about that in public." Why not? I was such a basket case for half my life because I believed that nonsense. I even tried to kill myself because that weight of feeling dirty, stupid and weak was crushing me.
